Chilli and Lime Scallops Spaghetti




Having recently acquired a taste for scallops, it is only natural and partly the duty of a food blogger to try to add scallops to my cooking repertoire.

Fresh scallops are quite the rarity in Kuala Lumpur, unless of course I’ve been looking for them in the wrong places, like many other things, which is a flaw I’ve become accustomed to. A couple of months ago, I rang my mother in excitement having apparently discovered a supermarket which sold fresh scallops, only to realise later on that they were actually fishballs. 



How does one confuse fishballs for scallops? Seriously, even I can’t answer that question.

Anyway, I soon realised that I would have to make do with frozen scallops if I was ever going to get around to cooking some. Having never cooked them before, I was naturally quite wary as it’s quite a finicky ingredient to play around with. The last thing I want to do is to undercook seafood but at the same time overcooked scallops are disgustingly rubbery. 


I found this no-frills recipe on my current favourite food website BBC Good Food and adapted it to make into a more substantial meal. This fuss free Chilli and Lime Scallops Spaghetti recipe uses only a handful of ingredients but produces a delicious, fresh and zesty meal which paid homage to these wonderful scallops.


* The only thing I would do differently would be to sear the scallops in a very very hot pan to get the wonderful golden brown crust. After doing some research I’ve realised that the pan has to be so hot that you should be able to see a bit of smoke.




Chilli and Lime Scallops Spaghetti

Adapted from BBC Good Food


Serves 2

Ingredients


8-12 scallops, depending on the size
1 tbsp olive oil +1/2 tsp butter
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 red chilli, chopped
Juice of one lime
½ tsp sugar
Salt & pepper
Spaghetti, enough for two people
Chopped coriander, optional 

Method 

  1. Season scallops with salt and pepper.
  2. Cook spaghetti according to instructions on the packet.
  3. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
  4. Heat non stick pan until hot and add butter and olive oil.
  5. Sear scallops for 20-30 seconds on each side until golden.
  6. Once scallops are flipped, add garlic and chilli.
  7. Cook for about a minute then add the lime juice and sugar. Add the spaghetti into the pan and toss until well mixed.
  8. Finish the dish off with chopped coriander and serve immediately.